In my investigation I set out to break the HIV/AIDS culture of silence and emphasize the role of the teacher as a researcher and critical change agent in an HIV/AIDS challenged society. My work demonstrates how teachers could play such a role by encouraging learners' participation in sport. The sport, I focussed on in my action research project was chess. One of the main recommendations is that the role of sport in education be prioritized in the context of HIV/AIDS. The rationale being that sport, recreation and play could contribute greatly to the quality of inter-personal relations and responsible behaviour of children and young people, as well as their personal well-being and health. This strengthens the idea that higher education institutions should provide the democratic space to encourage pre-service and in-service teachers to become teacher-researchers and reflective classroom practitioners, and to take up the contemporary challenge of shaping and strengthening school sport and education.